"did not lose much honour, for, God knows, they had not much to lose;
but they lost all they had." General St. Philip commanded the right
wing, of 19,000 men. He fell in with 3000 of the enemy; and, as soon as
he came near enough, deserted to them. One of his men had virtue enough
to level a musket at him, and shot him through the arm; but the wound
was not sufficient to prevent him from joining with the French in
pursuit of his own countrymen. Cannon, tents, baggage, and military
chest, were all forsaken by the runaways, though they lost only forty
men; for the French having put them to flight and got possession of
everything, did not pursue an army of more than three times their own
number. The main body of the Neapolitans, under Mack, did not behave
better. The king returned to Naples, where every day brought with it
tidings of some new disgrace from the army and the discovery of some new
treachery at home; till, four days after his return, the general sent
him advice that there was no prospect of stopping the progress of the
enemy, and that the royal family must look to their own personal safety.
The state of the public mind at Naples was such, at this time, that
neither the British minister nor the British Admiral thought it prudent
to appear at court. Their motions were watched; and the revolutionists
had even formed a plan for seizing and detaining them as hostages,
to prevent an attack on the city after the French should have taken
possession of it. A letter which Nelson addressed at this time to the
First Lord of the Admiralty, shows in what manner he contemplated the
possible issue of the storm, it was in these words:--"My dear lord,
there is an old saying, that when things are at the worst they must
mend: now the mind of man cannot fancy things worse than they are here.
But, thank God! my health is better, my mind never firmer, and my heart
in the right trim to comfort, relieve, and protect those whom it is
my duty to afford assistance to. Pray, my lord, assure our gracious
sovereign that while I live, I will support his glory; and that if I